Stone Care

Why is it so important to clean your precious trinkets? Your jewellery pieces collect dirt and can get smudges from wear and handling. Proper maintenance keeps them sparkly clean. We made intructions per gem on how to clean the gemstone. Have a look at how you can clean your favorite jewellery pieces to keep them looking beautiful for years to come!

 

The Amethyst has a score of 7/10 on the Mohs scale, this is fairly hard, making it good to use in jewellery. This gemstone is best cleaned with warm water and mild soap. Ultrasonic cleaners are safe in most cases except when the gemstone is dyed or the fractures have been treated. Amethyst should not be exposed to heat as it may cause fractures, which will prevent the steam cleaning from being used. Prolonged exposure to intense light can cause the gemstone to slowly fade, so keep your gem in a jewellery box.

Aquamarine has a hardness of 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, which means it is a hard gemstone. Exposure to high temperatures or hydrofluoric acid can cause damage and is therefore strongly discouraged. Aquamarine can however withstand exposure to light well. Warm water with mild soap is the best way to clean the gemstone. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners are also a safe way unless the gemstone is full of fractures.

Citrine has a hardness of 7/10 on the Mohs scale. Because of this, it can be incorporated into various types of jewellery, but does require special care to prevent damage. The safest way to do this is by using warm water and soap. The Citrine can also be cleaned with an ultrasonic cleaner. We strongly advise against steaming, as Citrine can break due to abrupt temperature changes.

The diamond is the only gemstone with a 10/10 on the Mohs scale. "A Diamond is Forever" is therefore said. A diamond can only be worked by another diamond, so this must be considered when storing it. This beautiful gemstone does not like grease, therefore it is important not to pick it up with your fingers, but for example to pick up the ring by the metal instead of the stone. Despite its incredible hardness, sudden and extreme temperature changes can be a threat. At 850°C a diamond burns, this heat is achieved in machining processes or house fires.

This gemstone is incredibly easy to treat with a lint-free cloth and jewelry cleanser. It will then shine again. The harsher methods such as ultrasonic cleaners, steam cleaners and powder cleaners are best to be avoided when it comes to your precious diamonds.

The emerald has a hardness of 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, making it a fairly hard gemstone. With proper care it will last a long time. According to the experts, emeralds are filled with fractures. This makes it risky to clean ultrasonically. This is because the fractures are made up of resins, polymers and oils, which can be changed in appearance by chemicals and light. Hot steam can therefore cause the fractures to become larger. It is best to gently clean it with warm water and mild soap.

Within the collection of ByJacky we have three different kinds of garnet, namely: Red Garnet, Malaya Garnet and Demantoid. These can all be treated the same. Garnet ranges between 6.5 and 7.5 on Mohs scale of hardness. This means that this birthstone is more likely to damage than other gemstones such as rubies, sapphires or diamonds. They are perfect for earrings, brooches and pendants, but be careful with how you store them in your jewellery box. If you let them rub against your diamonds, rubies and sapphires they can be scratched. Garnet on the other hand can also scratch softer gems, such as opals or pearls. They are resistant to light and chemicals except for hydrofluoric acid. An ultrasonic cleaner or warm soapy water is safe to use. We do not recommend using a steam cleaner.

Due to the softness of the gem, you should be very careful when polishing this. Scratches can cause the material to lose its radiance. It is best to clean Malachite with mild liquid soap and lukewarm water. Then dry them carefully to avoid water stains. Malachite is sensitive to heat. It is advised to stay away from heat, hot water and sunlight, as well as harsh chemicals such as those found in cleaning products and cosmetics.

Pearls are created by oysters and some other mollusks, this makes them fragile gemstones. They have a hardness of 2.5 to 4 on the scale of Mohs. Therefore, you can never clean them with acids or ammonia that is common in regular cleaning products. We recommend cleaning your pearls with a soft cloth that you wet with mild soap and warm water. Then dry your pearls with a soft cloth. You can also use a toothpick where needed or blow to remove dirt if the cloth won't do the job. Never use a heat-producing device to dry the pearls, nor immerse the jewellery in water to avoid excess moisture. If the pearls are worn on the skin, we recommend cleaning them regularly, as these gemstones are very sensitive to the acids released by sweating.

The gemstone Peridot has a hardness of 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, which is a fair to good toughness and could be worn in jewellery. Due to its hardness, we do not recommend cleaning it with an ultrasonic or steam cleaner. However, you can clean it with warm soapy water. Peridot is very sensitive to acids, so prolonged contact with acid perspiration can affect the gemstone. Rapid or unexpected heating can also cause the stone to break. Light cannot affect the gemstone. 

 

The Rainbow Quartz has a 7/10 on the Mohs scale, making it a fairly hard gemstone. Because of this, you cannot use harsh chemicals or abrasives, as this will cause scratches quite easily. The safest thing to do is to clean it with warm water and mild soap. Make sure you do not completely submerge the gem, as too much water is not good for this quartz. Drying it with a soft cloth is essential to make it sparkle again. If you store this gemstone do not do it in direct sunlight, this can cause the color to fade.

Ruby, like the Sapphire, falls under the Corundum family, so they both have the same hardness 9/10 on the Mohs scale. Because of this, they also have the same treatment. It is a gemstone with a low chance of splitting or breaking due to its hardness, which makes it ideal for everyday wear. Most ruby jewellery can therefore also be cleaned with ultrasonic and steam cleaners, but if you want to do it ultra-safe then it can also be done with warm water and soap.

Want to get your jewellery profesionally cleaned?
Ask ByJacky for help.

Sapphire is a hard gemstone rated 9/10 on the Mohs scale. This makes the chance of splitting and breaking low. This makes it an ideal gemstone to wear daily. Most Sapphire jewellery can be cleaned with ultrasonic and steam cleaners, but if you want to do it ultra-safe then it can also be done with warm water and soap.

Want to get your jewellery profesionally cleaned?
Ask ByJacky for help.

Spinel is a hard stone with a score of 8/10 on the Mohs scale. Because of this, there are many methods safe for cleaning this gemstone. Steam cleaners, ultrasonic machines as well as cleaning with soap and water are all safe. Spinel can change color when it undergoes heat treatment though, so be careful with this. To improve the apparent clarity a fracture treatment can be done, this is rarely done on this gemstone but can affect the ability with cleaning. If this is done, warm water and mild soap is recommended, as the other methods may cause additional fractures.

Tanzanite has a hardness of 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale, this is a fair to moderate hardness. Because of this, it must be worn with care and cannot be cleaned with ultrasonic cleaners and steam cleaners. Warm water with mild soap is always safe though. Tanzanite is not resistant to high temperatures, sudden temperature fluctuations or harsh acids. Everyday condition, such as light, common chemicals and warmth, aren't a problem for daily wear of this stone.

Topaz has a hardness of 8/10 on the Mohs scale, but despite its hardness is prone to splitting. This is why we advice to wear jewellery with this stone with caution. Be extremely careful when wearing it during vigorous exercise or extreme pressure. Cleaning with chemicals, steam cleaning and ultrasonic cleaning should be avoided, as topaz cannot withstand high heat and sudden temperature changes. Therefore, warm water and mild soap is the best option. The jewellery should also be stored in a jewellery box, as prolonged exposure to sunlight can cause it to fade.

Tourmaline has a hardness of 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale, which is a reasonable hardness. The gemstone has good resistance to light, but chemicals and heat can damage it. In fact, heat can change the color and sudden surges can cause breakage. Cleaning with ultrasonic cleaning and steam cleaners is not recommended, but you can clean your jewellery with warm water and mild soap.

Tsavorite is one of the most popular and expensive varieties of the garnet group. It has a hardness of 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale, because of this hardness it is stable to light and chemicals. But it can be attacked by hydrofluric acid. If you want to clean your tsavorite, you need to do it with warm soapy water which is always a safe option. We don’t recommend steam cleaning.